1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for outputting input data in a specific range.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer control unit (an image-forming apparatus) has been used which is capable of printing a specific part of image data. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-238113 discloses a technique in which a page where printing is to be started (hereinafter, “printing start page”) and a page where printing is to be stopped (hereinafter, “printing end page”) are specified through an operation panel, etc. so that image data on only desired pages are to be printed. Another technique has been proposed in which a START command specifying a printing start page and an END command specifying a printing end page are sent from an information processor or the like to an image-forming apparatus so that image data only in a specific range are to be printed.
In the conventional technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-238113, however, the user is required to set a range of data or pages to be printed (hereinafter, “print range”) through the operation panel on a printer as well as sending a printing request with print job data from an information processor such as a personal computer (PC) to the printer. As a result, the user is compelled to perform complicated operations for printing the intended print range.
In the conventional technique in which START and END commands are sent together with print job data to a printer, if a manufacturer of the printer is different from that of a printer driver, the START and END commands may be rejected by the printer. In such a case, the printer outputs all data contained in the print job data, from the first page to the last page, instead of printing data in a specified range. Therefore, to print data in the specified range only, it is required to send the printer only the data at a print language level or an application level in a PC, which increases loads on the PC.